The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project is an effort to save the last Asiatic lions from extinction in the wild. The last wild population in the Gir Forest region of the Indian state of Gujarat is under threat from epidemics, Natural disasters and Man-made disasters. The goal is to establish a second independent population of Asiatic Lions at the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.^[1] It is important to start a second population to serve as a life insurance for the last surviving Asiatic Lions and to help develop and maintain genetic diversity enabling the subspecies to survive. Trinomial name Panthera leo persica Meyer, 1826 Current distribution of the Asiatic Lion in the wild Synonyms Leo leo goojratensis (India) Leo leo persicus (Persia) The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica; also known as Indian Lion) is a subspecies of the lion found only in India. ... For other uses, see Extinction (disambiguation). ... The Gir National Forest is located near the southernmost point of the peninsula The Gir Forest National Park is located in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, India on 1412 kilometers2 of land. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... An epidemic is generally a widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population. ... Natural Disasters is a young rap group made up of five young teens from the Chicago suburbs. ... Man-made hazards are threats having an element of human intent, negligence, error or involving a failure of a system. ... Trinomial name Panthera leo persica Meyer, 1826 Synonyms Leo leo goojratensis (India) Leo leo persicus (Persia) The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) is a subspecies of lion. ... Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary or Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is located between latitudes of 25°30’- 25°53’E & longitude of 77°07’-77°26’N, in the Sheopur district of north western Madhya Pradesh, a state in the central India. ... , Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP)   (HindÄ«: मध्य प्रदेश, English: , IPA: ), often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. ... Life insurance or life assurance is a contract between the policy owner and the insurer, where the insurer agrees to pay a sum of money upon the occurrence of the policy owners death. ... Genetic diversity is a characteristic of ecosystems and gene pools that describes an attribute which is commonly held to be advantageous for survival -- that there are many different versions of otherwise similar organisms. ...

Wildlife Institute of India researchers confirmed that the Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is the most promising location to re-establish a free ranging population of the Asiatic lions and certified it ready to receive it's first batch of translocated lions^[2] from Gir Wildlife Sanctuary where they are highly overpopulated. There are large scale deaths in the population annually because of ever increasing competition between the human and animal overcrowding. Asiatic lion prides require large territories but there is limited space at Gir wildlife sanctuary, which is boxed in on all sides by heavy human habitation.^[1]

Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was selected as the reintroduction site for critically endangered Asiatic lion because it is in the former range of the lions before it was hunted into extinction in about 1873.^[3] It was selected following stringent international criteria and internationally accepted requirements & guidelines developed by IUCN/SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group^[4] and IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group^[5] which are followed before any reintroduction attempt anywhere in the world. Reintroduction is the deliberate release of animals from captivity into the wild. ... An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. ...

Twenty four villages of the Sahariya tribe, which had lived in the remote core area set aside for the reintroduction of the Asiatic lions in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, agreed to move out.^[6] They were rehabilitated by incurring an expense equal to millions of dollars under a Central Government of India sponsored scheme so that they can have access to basic amenities and infrastructure like roads, schools, hospitals, communal housing and security.^{[7] [8]} They were also allocated housing and agricultural land at Village Agraa outside the sanctuary in order to create a safe home and an inviolate space for the translocated prides of critically endangered Indian lions.^[9][10]

Establishing the wildlife sanctuary

Asiatic Lion

Asiatic Lioness, named MOTI, at Bristol Zoo, England (1996).

The Madhya Pradesh state government has assisted, under a Central Government sponsored scheme, in relocation and rehabilitation of about 24 small villages which chose voluntarily to move out of the remote areas of the core area of the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary. Villagers agreed readily to relocate to their new site as it gives them access to better amenities, roads and infrastructure facilities apart from schooling for their children. Samrakshan Trust, an NGO, has been working in rehabilitating villagers who agreed to move out of the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary.^[11] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1503x1011, 178 KB) Asiatischer Löwe (Panthera leo persica) im Tiergarten Nürnberg. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1503x1011, 178 KB) Asiatischer Löwe (Panthera leo persica) im Tiergarten Nürnberg. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1996x1456, 341 KB) Asiatic Lioness (Panthera leo persica), name MOTI, born Helsinki Zoo (Finland) in October 1994, arrived Bristol Zoo (England) in January 1996 Taken by Adrian Pingstone at Bristol Zoo, England, in January 2005 and released to the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1996x1456, 341 KB) Asiatic Lioness (Panthera leo persica), name MOTI, born Helsinki Zoo (Finland) in October 1994, arrived Bristol Zoo (England) in January 1996 Taken by Adrian Pingstone at Bristol Zoo, England, in January 2005 and released to the public domain. ...

The plan is to reintroduce a pride or two of wild free ranging Asiatic Lions from Gir Forest in the neighboring Indian state of Gujarat to start with. ^[12] Even though recent studies have shown that Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is ready to receive its first pride or two of wild free ranging Asiatic Lions from Gir, "Controversy" continues to dog the Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project as the local state Government of Gujarat, from where the Lions are to come from, is reluctant to let go of them as it considers Asiatic Lions a state property and wants to keep its monopoly over the Tourism revenue generated by the species which is extinct everywhere else in the world i.e. over its entire original range in South West Asia including adjoining parts of Europe where it once was found in good numbers. Today the Indian state of Gujarat is the only place on the whole planet where one can see these beautiful and majestic animals, the very last remnant of their species, living in the wild. Hence Gujarat sees these wild animals as a "tourist attraction" and a source of direct and indirect Tourism related revenue on which it obviously seems to want to maintain its monopoly hence its reluctance to allow even the reintroduction of a pride or two of wild free ranging Asiatic Lions out of its state's borders to the neighboring Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Reintroduction is the deliberate release of animals from captivity into the wild. ... The Gir National Forest is located near the southernmost point of the peninsula The Gir Forest National Park is located in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, India on 1412 kilometers2 of land. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary or Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is located between latitudes of 25°30’- 25°53’E & longitude of 77°07’-77°26’N, in the Sheopur district of north western Madhya Pradesh, a state in the central India. ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tourist redirects here. ... For the tax agency in Ireland of the same name, see Revenue Commissioners. ... This article is about the economic term. ... Reintroduction is the deliberate release of animals from captivity into the wild. ...

It is hoped that the Central Government of India and the State Governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh can soon reach some consensus on relocating at least 2 or 3 prides of wild free ranging Asiatic Lions from Gir Forest to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary thus securing the long-term survival of the species and gaining it life insurance in the form of a second far removed and what will eventually be a genetically diverse population. Life insurance or life assurance is a contract between the policy owner and the insurer, where the insurer agrees to pay a sum of money upon the occurrence of the policy owners death. ...

The Gir Forest in the State of Gujarat, India is the last natural habitat of the 300 odd wild Asiatic Lions, plans are afoot to re-introduce some to Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in the neighboring State of Madhya Pradesh in India to ensure their longterm survival against epidemics and natural calamities.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1058x749, 67 KB) Summary National parks and Sanctuary - Gujarat State (India) with district boundries and city marks - Self Made - w:User:Miljoshi - Jan 2006 - w:Gir Forest National Park - w:Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary Note: co-ordinates are estimated, and may... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1058x749, 67 KB) Summary National parks and Sanctuary - Gujarat State (India) with district boundries and city marks - Self Made - w:User:Miljoshi - Jan 2006 - w:Gir Forest National Park - w:Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary Note: co-ordinates are estimated, and may... The Gir National Forest is located near the southernmost point of the peninsula The Gir Forest National Park is located in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, India on 1412 kilometers2 of land. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary or Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is located between latitudes of 25°30’- 25°53’E & longitude of 77°07’-77°26’N, in the Sheopur district of north western Madhya Pradesh, a state in the central India. ... , Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP)   (HindÄ«: मध्य प्रदेश, English: , IPA: ), often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. ...

Inbreeding

The wild population of more than 300 Asiatic Lions is thought to be derived from just 13 individuals and thus was widely thought to be highly inbred. This low figure quoted from 1910 may have been publicised to discourage lion hunting - census data from the time indicates the population was probably closer to 100.^[13]

Many studies have reported that the inbred populations could be susceptible to diseases and their sperms were deformed leading to infertility. In earlier studies Stephen O'Brien, a geneticist, had suggested that "If you do a DNA fingerprint, Asiatic lions actually look like identical twins... because they descend from as few as a dozen individuals that was all left at the turn of the 20th century."^[14] This makes them especially vulnerable to diseases, and causes 70 to 80% of sperms to be deformed — a ratio that can lead to infertility when lions are further inbred in captivity. Genetic fingerprinting or DNA testing is a technique to distinguish between individuals of the same species using only samples of their DNA. Its invention by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester was announced in 1985. ... Fraternal twin boys in the tub The term twin most notably refers to two individuals (or one of two individuals) who have shared the same uterus (womb) and usually, but not necessarily, born on the same day. ... This article is about the medical term. ...

Indian scientists have since reported that the low genetic variability may have been a feature of the original population and not a result of the inbreeding. They also show that the variability in immunotypes is close to that of the tiger population and that there are no spermatazoal abnormalities in the current population of lions.^[15]

Latest information from the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA) reports "the Asiatic lions and Indian tigers are not as inbred as previously reported by S.J. O' Brien and do not suffer from inbreeding depression".^[16] Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA), Government of India is the central body which has been relatively recently set up to oversee the various aspects of the Zoos in India. ...

Threats to the last wild population

Even though the Gir Forest is well protected but there are incidences of Critically endangered last wild Asiatic Lion being poached and claws regularly go missing from their carcasses. Lions are also poisoned for attacking livestock. Some of the other major threats include floods, fires and the ever present lurking threat of the entire wild population of Asiatic Lions being wiped out because of epidemics and natural calamities. All the wild Asiatic Lions of the entire world are presently found only in the tiny Gir Forest, Gujarat, India. Having now grown to about 350 they need more room but there isn't any, Gir forest is boxed in on all sides with human habitation, due to the over population the Lions have started migrating out of Gir into unprotected farmland where they come in regular conflict with humans. The Gir National Forest is located near the southernmost point of the peninsula The Gir Forest National Park is located in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, India on 1412 kilometers2 of land. ...

Over the decades hundreds of critically endangered Asiatic Lions have died, drowned and broken their bones by falling into the 10000 to 15000 open-wells dug by the farmers in and around Gir Forest. "Open wells" are now a major well documented grave threat to the last 300 odd wild Asiatic Lions found living at Gir Forest, presently their only wild home in the whole wide world. Every year the farmers dig more open wells but the State Government of Gujarat (India) has done nothing to make these illegal. There is an "urgent need" to pass a law to make open-wells illegal and farmers should be legally required to build a parapet wall around the wells and fence them in. A local NGO funded nationally or internationally can be engaged in working with the farmers and educating them to go in for "Drilled Tube wells" instead which are no threat the critically endangered last wild Asiatic Lions or other wildlife. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Farmers on the periphery of the Gir National Park frequently use illegal crude home made electrical fences to protect their crops from raiding wild animals, specially from herds of Nilgai and connect high voltage overhead power lines directly to these fences. This has on several occasions led to the electrocution of critically endangered Asiatic Lions and other wildlife. Binomial name Boselaphus tragocamelus Pall. ...

The biggest threat faced by the Gir National Park is the presence of Maldharis. These communities are vegetarian and do not indulge in poaching because they are basically pasturalists, with an average of 50 cattle (mainly "Gir Cow") per family. So during grass-scarce seasons Maldharis, even from outside the sanctuary, bring their cattle into the park in the guise of selling them and take them away after the monsoon season. So eventually it has become grazing ground for a large number of cattle, not only of the Maldharis but also for those living in an area of say 100 km around the park. These people are legally entitled to live in the park but slowly the area around the nesses (small hamlets where Maldharis live) is becoming denuded of vegetation. The population of Maldharis, as well as their numbers of cattle, is increasing and some Maldharis have houses outside the forest but still keep their cattle inside the forest to get unlimited access to forage. One of the outcomes of this is that the natural population of the wild ungulates of the protected area which forms the prey base suffers and as mentioned earlier sometimes the critically endangered last wild Asiatic lions which have attacked livestock are ruthlessly poisoned. Maldharis are nomadic herdsmen who live in the Gujarat state of India. ...

See also

• Reintroduction
• in-situ conservation
• List of Protected areas in India
• Wildlife conservation
• World Conservation Union (IUCN)
• Ex-situ conservation
• Extinction
• National Emblem of India

Reintroduction is the deliberate release of animals from captivity into the wild. ... In-situ conservation means on-site conservation. It is the process of protecting an endangered plant or animal species in its natural habitat, either by protecting or cleaning up the habitat itself, or by defending the species from predators. ... // Ministry of Forests - List of protected areas in India] Categories: | | ... cheese ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Ex-situ conservation means literally, off-site conservation. It is the process of protecting an endangered species of plant or animal by removing it from an unsafe or threatened habitat and placing it or part of it under the care of humans. ... For other uses, see Extinction (disambiguation). ... The Emblem of India The Emblem of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. ...

References

External links

• “Asiatic Lion Information Centre” (and also referred to its "NEWS pages" for controversy over Gujarat’s reluctance in Reintroduction of Asiatic Lions outside its state's borders to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India)
• Information on Asiatic Lion & Gir Forest at the website of Asiatic Lion Protection Society (ALPS)